An international conference on current national and EU digital initiatives, which can facilitate the application of the social security coordination rules of the European Union, was held today at the INPS headquarters in Palazzo Wedekind in Rome.
"Path to the Digital Decade" is a project presented by the European Commission for the definition of concrete goals and objectives, to be achieved by 2030, in support of digital transformation in Europe in the public services sector, essential for improving efficiency and interaction of citizens with administrations.
Pasquale Tridico, President of INPS, in opening the works, after having welcomed the guests, recalled how the Institute has always been committed to innovation, so much so that it is considered an innovation engine for the entire PA in Italy . In line with the Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan, INPS wants and must participate as one of the fundamental institutions in this recovery process. The Institute's effort has always been to innovate and drive digital transformation. Thanks to the collaboration of INPS with other public bodies and trade associations, innovation has made great progress in promoting solutions based on emerging technologies, which can help overcome the barriers of cooperation at national and international level. To this end, INPS participates in all the round tables of the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (Eessi) projects, promoted by the European Commission, as well as having promoted a centralized solution for the transition to Rina, the software used by the Member States of European Union to exchange social security data. Tridico also exhibited some examples of the innovative role of INPS. These include the European Social Security Pass (Esspass), a social security data portfolio, which can be shared by the various institutes of the member countries, to facilitate the mobility of Union workers. This project, explained the President, who is currently focused on demonstrating its application to the posting of workers abroad, is carried out in collaboration with the DG EMPL of the European Commission and sees the participation of ten European institutions. This project brings us in close contact with the DG Connect and Digit departments of the European Commission, and INPS is a significant presence in the Ebsi project, promoted by the European blockchain partnership.
Following Andrea Orlando, Minister of Labor and Social Policies, underlined how the INPS can count on a unique heritage of professionalism and is an essential subject of the social policies of our country, as the Covid-19 pandemic has clearly shown. However, the Institute is the victim of a representation of reality deformed by ideology, which at best sees welfare as a cost, if not a waste. Digitizing the social safety net is an ambitious but necessary task, a challenge that concerns the democratic stability of the country. Furthermore, according to Orlando, the social security system must adapt to less traditional and more discontinuous paths, given that in the labor market new forms of contract are emerging but also contexts such as digital platforms that are often not recognized as employers and present other complexities.
Joost Korte, Director General of the DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission, said that the question of the digitization of the public administration is anything but technical: it is above all political, and also concerns how Italy will use the opportunities offered by the Recovery Fund. The Commission supports efforts towards the digitization of public administrations in member countries. The priorities are to make the exchange of information faster and more efficient, to ensure more effective control and to allow Union citizens to make the most of public services, which are fundamental rights. Korte also praised the promotion of the “European Social Security Pass” (Esspass), launched by the Commission in March, which INPS developed and promoted. The initiative capitalizes on lessons learned from the past and explores flexibility to connect citizens and institutions and facilitate the extension of social and welfare coverage. However, Korte warned that digitization requires the involvement of all member countries and that the Commission is working in this direction.
David Dion Pascal, Director-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission, explained that Esspass's main objective is to provide the missing link between the citizen of the Union, who travels for work purposes, and the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (Eessi), the communication and information exchange system between social security institutions. Adopted last March by the European Commission, the latter is based on the collaboration of the member countries and makes use of the experiences already gained in the past. There are several steps including the worker requesting the certificate of posting in EU countries and its issuance by the social security institution of the country of origin, up to the sharing of the document by the destination institution and the possibility of inspection by the Inspectorate.
Stefano Cascone, Director of INPS, underlined below the collaboration between the Institute and the European Commission for the realization of the Esspass project, in order to create a different approach to citizens, with the use of a "wallet" (archiving mechanism and secure protection) for the management of sensitive data and the use of "blockchain" technologies to ensure their security and transparency.
Antonello Lilla, Director of INPS, focused on the aspect of recovering sums unduly received thanks to new technologies and on the fundamental contribution of digitalisation in preventing and combating fraud and illegal behavior.
Gertruda Uscinska, President of Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznychzus ZUS, Social Insurance Institute of Poland, said that the Social Insurance Institute is Poland's first digital administration agency. It continuously coordinates with other local institutes and with its counterparts in the Union and with the European Commission, as it has an e-office since 2016. The Covid-19 pandemic has made all Member States understand the importance to continue investing in digitization.
Along the same lines, Ilka Wölfle, Deutsche Sozialversicherung Europavertretung and President of the European Social Insurance Platform (Esip), stated that coordination between the various social security institutions is one of the key elements of the European integration project and was immediately perceived as a fundamental step to guarantee the mobility of Union workers. In this sense, cooperation between Member States is a key factor, also in view of the European Commission's objectives for 2030, of making 100% of key services accessible online to 100% of European citizens. Some of the most significant fruits of coordination at European level were the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (Eessi) and the Reference Implementation for a National Application (Rina).
Karel Lucien Deridder, National Liason Officer of Belgium of the European Labor Authority, said that promoting collaboration between EU member countries and the exchange of digital tools and databases is a key step in combating fraud and errors in the sector. social security and to combat illegal and illegal work, allowing the sharing of data between inspectors of different countries. The work of the European Labor Authority (ELA) goes in this direction.
In conclusion, the meeting was an opportunity for an exchange of views on current national and EU digital initiatives, which can help facilitate the application of the social security coordination rules of the European Union, offering people-centered services to citizens who exercise their right to freedom of movement.